MARIJUANA ABUSE AMONG ADULTS RISES

Researchers Say Higher Potency of Drugs May Be 1 Reason for Increase

CHICAGO - Habitual marijuana use increased among U.S. adults over the past
decade, particularly among young minorities and baby boomers, government
figures show.

The prevalence of marijuana abuse or dependence climbed from 1.2 percent of
adults in 1991-92 to 1.5 percent in 2001-02, or an estimated 3 million
adults 18 and over.

That represents an increase of 22 percent, or 800,000 people, according to
data from two nationally representative surveys that each queried more than
40,000 adults.

Among 18- to 29-year-olds, the rate of abuse or dependence remained stable
among whites but surged by about 220 percent among black men and women, to
4.5 percent of that population, and by almost 150 percent among Hispanic
men, to 4.7 percent.

Among all adults ages 45 to 64, the rate increased by 355 percent, to about
0.4 percent of that population.

The report, published in today's Journal of the American Medical
Association, was led by Dr. Wilson Compton of the National Institute on
Drug Abuse, who said the rise in dependence was probably due at least
partly to increases in the potency of pot over the past decade.